Farrier's Knife. 



Number 29 is a cut of a farrier's knife. This knife 

 is double edged, sharpened the entire length of the 

 blade on one side and only about half the length on 

 the other, as shown by cut ; it is especially made to 

 use in cleaning out the commissures in a contracted 

 foot, as described and directed to be done, in treating 

 the contracted foot number 14. It will be noticed 

 that the turn at the point is a sharp one, and that the 

 width over all at point is very slight ; it is made so 

 for a purpose, and that is, so that it shall make only 

 a narrow cleaning out of the commissures. The idea 

 of cleaning out these objectionable parts of the 

 deformed foot is to weaken them, so they cannot 

 exert a harmful pressure upward into the vital part 

 of the foot, as already explained. It is not necessary, 

 nor would it be productive of the desired improve- 

 ment, to dig down into them with a knife broader on 

 the point than the one here shown, for before the 

 ordinary farrier's knife, with its broader point, had 

 reached down into them far enough to give the re- 

 quired relief the wide point would have broken 

 through on each side and the blood would flow. This 

 must be avoided: the commissures must be weakened, 

 but they must not be cut through so that blood would 

 flow. The author can furnish such a knife, upon 

 application, maAe of gO(bd, well iempered s^el, with 

 leather di^de case, hardNvood handle of protoer size 

 and shapK for $l50, sen\ to anyVddress, postage 

 paid, on receipt oX price \n anythVng but postage 

 stamps. The\handiy is one inch longer than cut, 

 blade same length as shown. v.^^^^'^i^i^i-'ir^^ >^?^^ 



53 



